Page 121 of Wicked Minds
Blushing, I duck my gaze, staring at the top of Rora’s head. “I’ve barely done anything. I’ve hardly been present in her life at all. The year I took off between high school and college is the most I’ve been with her.”
“One day,” he says, the determined promise behind his words drawing my eyes upward. The fire in his chestnut depths gives me hope that he’s right. That one day Aurora will be all mine. I’ll have her all day, every day.
Tears stinging the back of my throat, I swallow. “We should probably go. Mom will be back soon, and you need to get back to campus in time for the bus leaving.”
He nods, slapping a handful of bills on the table as I bundle Aurora into her coat.
We’re quiet and contemplative as we walk back down the street toward the play park. Aurora’s small arms are wrapped around my neck, her face buried in my coat, and Logan keeps one hand at the base of my spine, his eyes darting between the little girl sleeping in my arms and the sidewalk in front of us.
“I promise you, Riley,” he says, stopping me before we round the corner to the park. “Whatever it takes, I will make sure Aurora is all yours. That no one will ever take her away from you again.”
There’s a lump in my throat preventing me from responding, not that I even know what to say to that. To the enraged look inhis eyes. So I simply nod before he ushers me forward, ducking away before I round the corner and the play park comes into view.
My mom is already there, standing beside her car and tapping her shoe impatiently as she glares at her watch as if that will make me magically appear.
“Where have you been?” she chides when she sees me striding toward her.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize you were waiting.”
She sighs impatiently, but I ignore her as I open the back door and settle a sleeping Aurora into her car seat.
“Thanks for letting me spend some time with her today,” I say after quietly closing the car door. “It meant a lot.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just make sure you send me that money. I can hire lawyers, too.”
Not letting her see the sting from her verbal snap, I stick my hand out, preventing her from getting into the car. “Answer your phone when I call this month. I don’t want to go without speaking to my daughter until we next meet.”
My mother’s lips purse. “You realize I don’t spend every waking minute with her?”
Eyes narrowed, I counter, “Then call me back when you are with her.”
“Fine,” my mother snaps, but a thought strikes before I remove my outstretched arm. Knowing her, she will deliberately call when I’m in class.
“Every weekend,” I stipulate, changing the agreement somewhat. “I want to speak to my daughter every weekend.”
My mother’s furious glare tells me I’m treading in shark-infested waters. Tough shit. I’m done playing her way. Perhaps it’s knowing that Logan and Royce have my back, that there are now lawyers working in my best interest, but I suddenly don’t give a flying fuck about my mother’s hostile glare aimed my way.
“If you prefer, I can arrange to have this conversation with the lawyers involved.”
My mother’s smile is sharp. “So quick to throw your hard-earned cash around. You must really be making bank at that strip club of yours. I’d love to know what your lawyers would make of that…” Seeing the fear on my face, a gleam enters her eyes. “However, I'll agree since I have better things to do with my day.”
“Every weekend,” I emphasize.
“Yes, Riley. I heard you perfectly the first time.”
Eyes drawn in skepticism, I press, “Starting this weekend. Tomorrow or Sunday.”
My mother sighs. “Fine. Now get out of my way.”
Reluctantly, I step aside, and she gets into the car, reversing out of the space. Just like on Christmas morning, I watch as she drives away, taking a significant piece of my heart with her. The difference is, this time, I’m not alone. The second her taillights disappear from view, Logan appears, wrapping me up in the deepest of hugs and letting me cling to him as tears leak from my eyes.
38
RILEY
Staring up at the brownstone in front of me, I swallow around the lump in my throat as I wipe my sweaty palms on my oversized jersey. I haven’t been back here since Christmas Day, and the memories roll through me like a slideshow playing on repeat as I stare at the hunter-green front door.
Grayson’s cold, hard eyes filled with hatred.
